Sixth Form Weekly Newsletter | Spring Term, Week 9 | Date: 3 Mar 2023

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A week
All Day
From 06 Mar until 10 Mar
06
March
MSH - Yr12 Assembly
9:10am – 10:10am
From 05 Sep and on Monday every 2 weeks until 20 Aug
06
March
Year 10 Parents Evening
4:30pm – 7:30pm
07
March
Year 10 Parents Evening
4:30pm – 7:30pm
09
March

COVID GUIDANCE

 

If you have symptoms of Covid-19 or you have tested positive for Covid-19, you should stay at home and avoid contact with other people.

Symptoms of Covid-19 can include:

  • a high temperature or shivering 
  • a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours
  • a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste
  • shortness of breath
  • feeling tired or exhausted
  • an aching body
  • a headache
  • a sore throat
  • a blocked or runny nose
  • loss of appetite
  • diarrhoea
  • feeling sick or being sick

Students under 18 years old who test positive or have symptoms should stay at home for 3 full days. The day you first have symptoms or have a positive test result is Day 0. You may return to school on Day 4 provided you do not have a temperature and feel well enough. 

Full government guidance is available here.

We will continue to support the personal choice of students and staff in wearing a face covering. We will also continue to ensure good levels of hygiene and ventilation for everyone here at school, and will maintain appropriate cleaning regimes.

If you have questions regarding official guidance please call 119 for visit the NHS website.

If a student is unwell, regardless of whether Covid-19 is suspected, they should stay away from school and the absence should be reported via our online absence form.

REPORTING STUDENT ABSENCE

 

We have an online absence reporting form for all absences (whole day or part of the day). If you are unable to use the form you will need to email absence@hgs.herts.sch.uk with the student's name and tutor group, reason for absence and expected return date (if known). 

WEEKLY MENU 

 

[Every Day - Pasta / Jacket Potatoes & Toppings, Panini of the Day]

** MENU SUBJECT TO CHANGE **

Monday: PASTA CHEESE PARCELS (v), VEGETABLE STEW & DUMPLINGS (v), VEGETARIAN SAUSAGE PASTRIES (v), APPLE & BLACKBERRY CRUMBLE

Tuesday: SAVOURY MINCE & ONION PIE, PASTA BAKE (v), CHEESE & TOMATO WRAPS (v), LEMON SPONGE

Wednesday: SWEET & SOUR CHICKEN (gf), BBQ NOODLES (v), CHEESE QUICHE (v), CARROT CAKE

Thursday: BACON & LEEK RISOTTO (gf), SPAGHETTI SAVOURY (v), CHEESE & ONION PASTIES (v), DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHIP SPONGE

Friday: BEEF CHILLI (gf), MACARONI CHEESE (v), BATTERED FISH, CHOCOLATE KRISPIE (free from eggs)

(v) = Vegetarian (gf) = Gluten Free

SCHOOL NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Message from the Headteacher 

Good Afternoon,

It has been an exciting week in school, with Year 9s experiencing the Talk The Talk event today, and our reward trips being launched earlier in the week. I am sure that many of you will have heard about the reward trips from your child, and we will be sending out some further information next week about the process for these trips this year.

Also, well done to all of Year 11 for completing their second mocks in English and Maths this week. 

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all parents and carers for their support with how we have managed the two days of industrial action to date. I will communicate the school's plans for the 15th and 16th of March in due course.

Have a good weekend,

James Crowther - Headteacher

Library news

World Book Day Celebrations
Wednesday 8 March

The Library is holding a book fair and cake sale on Wednesday 8 March to celebrate World Book Day. The book sale will take place in the Library where students will be given their £1 World Book Day token. Years 7 - 10 classes will visit during lessons and everyone else is welcome to come along at break and lunchtime.

David's Bookshop in Letchworth is bringing a wide range of titles as well as the special £1 World Book Day books. Students can pay by cash or card on the day or reserve a book to collect and pay for the next day (cash only).

The cake sale will be held outside at breaktime (weather permitting) with all proceeds going to World Book Day and the charity Book Aid. Payment will be by cash only.

We'd be very grateful if any students or parents/carers would like to make some cakes for the sale. Please make sure they do not contain nuts and bring them to the Library in a named container before registration on Wednesday morning. 

                                       

Non-uniform day, Friday 17 March

We will be raising money for Comic Relief and the DEC Turkey / Syria Earthquake Appeal through a non-uniform day on Friday 17 March. 

A suggested donation of £1 for each student wearing non-uniform can be made via ParentPay towards our fundraising effort. ParentPay will be set up so that you may donate more than this amount, if you so wish.

Although students will not be required to wear uniform on this day, there are still expectations around dress standards for school:

  •  No sleeveless tops or cropped tops
  •  No flip-flops or other backless shoes
  •  No shorts

Thank you in advance for helping to maintain our dress standards.

Conscious couture

At the Recycled Fashion Show at St Christopher School at the weekend, our students really excelled themselves with their creativity, bravery and support for one another.

Out of more than 80 entries from students in Years 3 to 13, Rose Fausset’s (Y10) creation, modelled by Emma Vernon (Y10), was the overall winner, for the best use of sustainable materials in the whole show.

We also had these three finalists:

Y7 - Jasmine Bhakhri and Imogen Mitchell's creation, modelled by Mia Sullivan 

Y7 - Sophie Potterton, who received a special mention from the judges for the idea, quality and execution of her product.

Y8 - Lucy West and Ekam Kaur's creation, modelled by Lucy, also received a special mention from the judges, for the creativity and overall look of the garment and accessories.

Athletics track open event

Saturday 1 April, 1 - 4pm

The outdoor athletics season begins in April, and the Stevenage and North Herts Athletics Club are starting the season with a Track Open at Ridlins Track. Photo finishes will be provided. The link to the entry form is below and the timetable is on the entry form. 

It would be lovely to see as many students in action as possible as they do not need to be members of the club. It is also an opportunity for those in Year 10 doing GCSE PE to get a time for an event with a photo finish. 

If you have any queries, please speak to Miss Murch.

Entry form and timetable

Food Club

Exceedingly tasty-looking treats continue to come out of our Food Club's kitchen!

Hitchin Boys' School Golf Day

Friday 24 March

Families with a child who will be starting at Hitchin Boys' School, or whose child is a former student - or those who just like to play golf! - may be interested in taking part in the school's fundraiser golf day at Aldwickbury Golf Club, Harpenden. The event will raise much-needed funds for equipment for HBS's new sports facility.

Full details and the registration form can be found on the HBS website here.

CAREERS SPOTLIGHT

NOTICEBOARD - EDUCATION / CAREERS 

Degree apprenticeship application masterclass

Arm is the leading technology provider of processor IP. 200 billion Arm-based chips were sold around the world between 1985 and 2021, making Arm the most widely used type of computer chip in human history. 

Arm provides a safe, friendly and adaptable workplace for its employees. It has a strong belief that young people represent the future of creativity. Arm is looking for the ones who will create, engineer and deliver the world technology of tomorrow.

Hertfordshire Opportunities Portal

Watch past webinars

 

Applications are open for PWC's Career Launch Work Experience plus their Virtual Insight Programme, taking place this summer.

Students in Year 12 can attend PWC's Career Launch Work Experience at their Belfast or Manchester offices. This paid programme will give them the chance to explore what it’s like to work at PwC while gaining valuable skills and the opportunity to build their network. Participants that perform well could receive a fast-tracked application to one of their 2024 opportunities. 

Apply

PWC's Virtual Insight Programme is open to Years 11 and 12. It’s designed to provide students with an insight into PWC's different business areas, and the chance to interact with staff while developing their employability skills.

Apply

The deadline to apply for both programmes is 10 March 2023.

MMLL (Italian) / HML History and Modern Languages (Italian) Degree Masterclass 

Monday 20 March

Years 11 & 12

Free

An opportunity to discover what is on offer for the Degree in Modern Languages and History at Cambridge, with a special focus on Italian.

This masterclass is suitable for students who are considering applying for a degree in Modern Languages and/or History, with the opportunity to start a language from scratch.

Register

Caius 9 & 10 Programme

Deadline Friday 24 March

Years 9 & 10 

Free

G&C are inviting able Year 9 / 10 students to take part in their online programme Caius9&10.

This is a series of after-school sessions via Zoom, where the students will receive guidance and ideas on how to explore subject interests and an introduction to studying at university. They will also have the chance to talk to current Cambridge students and attend an online lecture.

  • Session 1, Thursday 20 April, 4.30 - 5.30pm: Introduction to studying at university and Oxbridge
  • Session 2, Thursday 4 May, 4.30 - 5.30pm: Critical thinking and exploring subject interests
  • Session 3, Thursday 18 May, 5 - 6pm: Taster lectures (one STEM and one Humanities)
  • Session 4, Thursday 8 June, 4.30 - 5.30pm: Student life Q&A (focus on life at university, clubs and societies)
  • Session 5, Thursday 22 June, 4.30 - 5.30pm: Session chosen by the students
Register

Watch the video: A Day in the Life of a Law students at G&C 

About Skills Gap

Skills Gap is a career accelerator that runs insightful workshops for young people aged 15-19 ­– because it’s never too soon to think about building your skills for a competitive edge in your future studies and career.

We're offering a range of intensive workshops this spring, all designed specifically for 15-19 year olds and delivered to small groups by experienced industry experts:

Robotics in Space
Saturday 11 March

From exploring the surface of Mars to sizing up metallic asteroids, the race is on to unlock the mysteries of the universe and answer our planet’s biggest challenges. Taught online by robotics experts, this workshop gives a fascinating insight into today’s space industry. Take part in a hands-on exercise to design an autonomous robotic lander to explore Europa, and get career tips and advice to get ahead.

AI in Medicine
Saturday 11 March

Medicine is on the verge of an Artificial Intelligence revolution – from pioneering surgeries to algorithms that predict future health issues. Our workshop is delivered online by med-tech experts, and will introduce you to key AI trends in medicine, their influence on global healthcare, and the tech skills you need to get ahead. You’ll also take part in an exciting hands-on diagnostic exercise using AI modelling tools.

NOTICEBOARD - WELLBEING / SEND / SUPPORT

Two online parenting courses fully funded by Herts County Council Family Services Commissioning Team

AVAILABLE TO ANY REFERRED PARENTS ACROSS HERTFORDSHIRE

Course 1: A Protective Behaviours Approach to Emotional Safety and Wellbeing for Families
Click here for details

Course 2: The Secrets to Parenting Your Teenager 
Click here for details

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Mental health support for
Hertfordshire's young people